Dan Nowicki is The Arizona Republic's national political reporter. Dan is a former Washington, D.C.,Â journalist and in 2006 wrote The Republic's Plugged In political blog, which ABC News called "a great resource" for the state's midterm congressional elections that year. Most recently, he spent two years on the presidential campaign trail reporting on Arizonan John McCain's unsuccessful bid for the White House. During the prolonged run-up to the 2008 election, Dan was a familiar face on national television, appearing on PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, ABC News Now, C-SPAN and assorted international, national, satellite and local radio programs including BBC World Service. Dan also has years of experience covering the Arizona Legislature and state government.
You can reach Dan at 602-444-8275, dan.nowicki@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter at @DanNowicki.
Rebekah L. Sanders covers Arizona's 9-member delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Rebekah reported on two West Valley cities, the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy, economic development and Luke Air Force Base before joining the politics team to handle the state's hottest 2012 congressional races.
She has been interviewed on MSNBC, C-SPAN, KAET's Horizon, NPR and other radio stations.
You can reach Rebekah at 602-444-8096, rebekah.sanders@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter at @RebekahLSanders.

McCain spars with crowd over immigration reform

Dan Nowicki, The Arizona Republic‘s national political reporter, filed this post:

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., talks to the media after a sometimes-testy town-hall-style meeting in the Sun Lakes retirement community near Chandler. Some constituents are unhappy with his immigration reform proposal.

Sen. John McCain heard an earful Tuesday from several constituents angry about illegal immigration at a town-hall-style meeting in the Sun Lakes retirement community near Chandler.

McCain, R-Ariz., is part of a bipartisan group of eight senators who are collaborating on a new comprehensive immigration reform bill that would allow many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the United States to pursue citizenship once the border is deemed secure. Immigration dominated McCainâ€™s 75-minute event, with some members of the audience venting at him over what at least one woman characterized as â€śamnestyâ€ť for law-breaking illegal immigrants. Some in the crowd said they would prefer a legal status that is short of citizenship.

McCain told the media after the meeting that the vigorous give-and-take with residents is â€śfunâ€ť and thatâ€™s why he enjoys holding town-hall discussions.

â€śOh sure, there are people that are unhappy,â€ť McCain said. â€śMost of the people in here are happy. Most of the people in here agree with me.â€ť

But at various points during the at-times-heated session, McCain had to remind the more than 150 people in attendance about civility. One such call for politeness came after a particularly animated exchange about immigration policy with a man who identified himself as a former police officer.

â€śYou know something? Iâ€™ve had town-hall meetings for 30 years,â€ť McCain said. â€śPeople are very happy that I have town-hall meetings and I listen to them and I get back to you, and this is what this is all about. And, occasionally, I get a jerk like you here. So thank you.â€ť

The next woman to speak noted that, â€śthis is pretty intense here.â€ť

Throughout the session, McCain stressed the need for more border security, but said undocumented immigrants should be given the opportunity to become citizens as long as they pay a fine and back taxes and get in line behind other immigrants.

â€śAll of us, from time to time, I think with rare exception, unfortunately, have broken the law,â€ť McCain said. â€śMine was while driving an automobile at an excessive speed. I paid a fine. I paid a fine. I had to go to school. Some of us might remember that experience.â€ť

McCain also emphasized that lawmakers are trying to avoid the mistakes of a 1986 law that provided amnesty to nearly 3 million illegal immigrants. The border was never secured as promised back then, he said.

â€śThe difference is, as I just pointed out, in â€™86 they said we will secure the border,â€ť McCain said to a questioner. â€śOn this proposal, the border has to be secure before anything moves forward.â€ť

Bonnie Ervine of Phoenix told McCain she wants a two-year moratorium on all immigration. President Dwight Eisenhower got it right â€śwhen he evicted the illegalsâ€ť in the 1950s, she said.

â€śNow you are proposing that we suffer the indignity of awarding these same law-breakers amnesty,â€ť Ervine said. â€śDespite however you choose to phrase it, that is in reality what it is.â€ť

She added: â€śForget about deportation. They found their way here, they can find their way home.â€ť

McCain asked if she thought that her proposed hiatus on immigration should extend to highly educated scientists who come to the United States, too.

Asked after the meeting if she was satisfied with McCainâ€™s response to her concerns, Ervine told The Arizona Republic that she thought he â€śwas polite.â€ť

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